London Magistrates' and Youth Courts: Adjourned Trials

Lord Beaumont of Whitley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the figure for the number of times (total and percentage) the London magistrates' courts and London youth courts have had to adjourn trials over the past year; and how many of those were because of a lack of court time.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The details are not available for the whole of last year. However the Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority (GLMCA) has conducted a monthly survey starting in June 2001 and I can provide details for the six months between June and November 2001 shown in the following table.
	The GLMCA has now adopted the national monitoring scheme that has been rolled out to all magistrates' courts from January 2002 which will collect data for all cracked and ineffective trials. Data from this scheme is not yet available.
	
		
			 Month Total cases Number of adjourned cases Percentage of adjourned cases Number of cases adjourned due to lack of court time Cases adjourned due to lack of court time as a percentage of all adjourned cases 
			 June 25,081 1,827 7.28 34 1.9 
			 July 24,766 2,687 10.85 93 3.5 
			 August 26,558 2,565 9.66 46 1.8 
			 September 24,066 2,377 9.88 49 2.1 
			 October 27,899 2,767 9.92 50 1.8 
			 November 28,087 2,588 9.21 75 2.9

National Archives

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the national achives Bill; and what its objective will be.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The Government have at this stage no plans to publish a national archives Bill. I am considering whether we should review the present provision for the safe keeping of records, especially in the light of the rapid growth in the use of digital media for creating and storing records. A proposal to put forward a Bill to revise present legislation relating to archives and to the management of records is a possible outcome but it is too early to say whether this will happen or what the objectives of such a Bill might be.

Indonesia

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they and other regional powers are able to assist Indonesia in disarming Laskar Jihad and rival militants, dismantling training camps, removing landmines, and deporting infiltrated foreigners; and
	Whether they are exploring with the government of Indonesia the practicality of stationing international human rights observers in Sulawesi and Maluku.

Baroness Amos: We welcome the agreements brokered by the Indonesian Government between the warring factions in Maluku and Sulawesi to end the fighting. This is the first small step to reconcile the warring communities and start the process of reconstruction and repatriation. We agree that firm law enforcement is needed to allow space for reconciliation efforts to take root.
	The UK, with our EU partners, has urged the Indonesian Government to build on this early, fragile peace and to implement in full its security and law enforcement obligations under the terms of the peace agreements. The Department for International Development (DfID) has pledged more than £4 million to help to establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. We are also awaiting a report from the recent European Union Rapid Reaction Team visit to both provinces which should also allow us to consider the scope for further practical assistance.
	We continue to monitor closely events in Maluku and Sulawesi through our embassy in Jakarta. Additionally, we draw on a large international presence already active in the provinces such as the permanently stationed UN resource centre in Maluku. However, we do not currently feel that international monitors would be broadly acceptable in Maluku or Sulawesi.

China: Human Rights

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that progress on China's human rights record over the past six months is satisfactory; if not, what action they intend to take to draw attention to China's human rights record at the current annual session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and whether they will be sponsoring a resolution censuring the human rights situation in China.

Baroness Amos: China's human rights record remains unsatisfactory. Our policy of critical dialogue is intended to encourage fundamental change over the long term. The 11 March General Affairs Council agreed that the EU at the UN Commission on Human Rights would convey its deep concern at the serious violations of human rights in China and the lack of progress in a number of areas. However, the EU will not sponsor a resolution on China. We will also continue to raise our concerns directly with the Chinese Government.

Iraq: UN Weapons Inspectors

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to ensure the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq.

Baroness Amos: We have repeatedly urged Iraq to co-operate with the UN, particularly on weapons inspections. Security Council Resolution 1284—a UK initiative—offered for the first time the suspension of UN sanctions as an interim step pending the complete elimination of Iraq's WMD, which would in turn lead to the full lifting of sanctions. We support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to persuade Iraq to co-operate with the UN through renewed dialogue, while making it clear that there can be no watering down of Iraq's obligations under UN resolutions.

Central Asia

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they intend to take to develop Britain's relationship with the countries of central Asia.

Baroness Amos: The Government will continue to work bilaterally, with partners, and with the OSCE, for a secure, stable and prosperous central Asia, by encouraging and supporting political and economic reform, good governance, regional co-operation, and legitimate security measures in the context of a proper respect for human rights. The Government opened an embassy in Tajikistan in December 2001 and plan to establish a diplomatic presence in Kyrgyzstan in 2002 with a full embassy there in 2003–04.

Wandsworth Prison: Healthcare

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to rectify the situation at the healthcare unit of HM Prison Wandsworth where physically ill and mentally ill patients are accommodated together and there is an extreme shortage of nurses.

Lord Rooker: Prisoners in the healthcare centre at Wandsworth who are suffering from mental illness are normally held in the psychiatric ward away from those patients who have only physical illnesses. However, against the background of a rapid rise in the prison population, it is sometimes necessary, because of the pressure on psychiatric bed spaces, temporarily to locate mentally disordered patients on another ward.
	There are currently 18 nursing vacancies at Wandsworth. The prison has advertised to fill those vacancies on several occasions, most recently in March 2002. In the mean time, nursing cover is being provided by existing staff on overtime, and bank and agency nurses. Eleven of the nursing complement at the establishment are mental health nurses and an additional 16 mental health nurses are available from the nursing bank.
	Notwithstanding these staffing vacancies, the quality of care being provided to prisoners at Wandsworth remains of a good standard and they are receiving appropriate treatment. Wandsworth is one of 22 establishments in which NHS-funded mental health in-reach services are being developed during 2001–02 to meet commitments in the NHS Plan (2000) aimed at improving mental health services for prisoners. A multi-disciplinary team offers a range of services to prisoners similar to those available from NHS community mental health teams. The regime for prisoners in the healthcare centre is supported by a daycare centre, occupational therapy and education sessions.

Animal Rights Extremism

Lord Brougham and Vaux: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will consult shooting and fishing organisations, as well as the police, regarding the focus of animal rights attention on their activities.

Lord Rooker: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, Mr Ainsworth, met the National Angling Alliance and the Countryside Alliance late last year to discuss animal rights extremism. Shooters and anglers are not currently a major focus for extremist activity, but the meeting was useful and constructive.

Internet Access

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they respond to the joint study by IBM and Local Futures delineating a growing digital divide between rural and urban areas; and what plans they have to address the problems outlined by the study.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government are committed to ensuring that everyone in the UK who wants it will have access to the Internet by 2005.
	In September 2000 the Government set out a comprehensive strategy for achieving universal access in the UK Online annual report. The Office of the e-Envoy is leading the drive to get the UK online.
	Further details of the UK online strategy can be found at www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/progress/anrep2001/.

Film: Cultural Diversity

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they now expect to respond to the report of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Employment in Film sent to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in March 2001.

Baroness Blackstone: The DCMS and the Film Council were closely involved in the work of the committee which was launched at DCMS. At the request of DCMS, the Film Council is considering how the report can be taken forward in the context of its own cultural diversity strategy and will be publishing a policy statement later in the year.
	Under its existing policies, the Film Council has already taken a number of steps which will help people from ethnic minorities to become more involved in film. Some examples follow.
	The Film Council makes it a condition of funding that all applicants demonstrate active equal opportunities policies, and it is making its funds known and accessible to black and Asian film-makers at every opportunity. The council has created a Fusion Group, including each of its production funds, which seeks out and supports film-makers from ethnic minorities, and is currently working on a hothouse scheme for writers; promotion of ethnic minority actors; networking events for ethnic minority film-makers to meet others in the industry; and specifically designed training courses.
	Each training provider funded by the Film Council is set targets for the diversity of participants who attend their programmes. The Film Council works with the training providers to help them to meet these targets. It has established a development internship programme—a 14-month full-time programme which integrates on and off-the-job training aimed at trainees at script reader level with strict targets for participation of ethnic and other minority groups. The aim of the screen-writing scholarship programme is to increase access to these courses for people from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds.
	A number of black and Asian film-making teams and projects have been taken to the Independent Feature Project in New York, the Rotterdeam International Film Festival and the Dinard Film Festival for British films.

Apsley House

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why Apsley House charges an admission fee when it has been the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport under the management of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Baroness Blackstone: The Government are in the process of contracting out the management arrangements for Apsley House and the running of the Wellington Museum. The contracting-out order was approved by both Houses of Parliament in February this year. Under this proposal the Wellington Museum will not be classified as a national museum and will therefore not be required to follow the full range of free access policies. It will be for the new management team to decide on its charging policy for adults. However, it will remain a condition that entrance for children remains free under the new management.

Ofcom

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the conclusion in the report on Ofcom prepared by the Commercial Radio Companies Association, that "The Towers Perrin Scoping Project was short on deregulation and consultation"; and that "if Ofcom is to succeed it must be more than a re-arrangement of the current five regulators".

Baroness Blackstone: The Towers Perrin scoping report was commissioned by the five existing regulators due to be replaced by Ofcom. It was intended as an initial study of the work that needed to be done in preparing for Ofcom, based on an assessment of the White Paper, and was in no sense a blueprint for the new organisation. There is wide agreement that Ofcom needs to be more than a rearrangement of the current five regulators if it is to succeed. But decisions on Ofcom's structure and other management issues will be matters for the new board to be appointed under the completion of the Office of Communications Act.

NHS: Information Management and Technology

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What amount of allocations to the National Health Service for 2001–02 was ring-fenced for expenditure on information management and technology; how much was actually spent; and which National Health Service bodies did not spend the full ring-fenced amount on the matters for which the allocations were intended.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A sum of £113 million was "hypothecated" for information management and technology for 2001–02. Local plans identified that £30 million was targeted at information management and technology development. The remainder was deployed against other local pressures.
	In recognition of this pressure a further £50 million was made available during 2001–02 to pursue connectivity targets. The whole of this additional amount was used for investment in desktop hardware, software and local networks.
	We do not collect data of total spend on IM&T by individual National Health Service bodies against specific targets.

NHS: Net Expenditure Since 1996–97

Lord Jacobs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total expenditure of the National Health Service (a) for the fiscal year 1996–97 and (b) for each of the fiscal years ending in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001; and what is the estimated expenditure for 2001–02; and
	By how much the total expenditure of the National Health Service increased over the base year 1996–97 adjusted for inflation in the fiscal years ending in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001; and what is the estimated increase for 2001–02.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The information requested is shown in the table. It shows that since 1996–97 National Health Service net expenditure in the United Kingdom has grown by almost 30 per cent in real terms.
	
		
			  1996–97 Outturn 1997–98 Outturn 1998–99 Outturn 1999–2000 Outturn 2000–01 Estimated outturn 2001–02 Plan 
			  £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million 
			 UK Net Expenditure(1) 41,276 43,212 45,615 49,588 54,680 59,718 
			 Real terms increase over 1996–97 £ million  643 1,771 4,418 8,236 11,480 
			 Real terms increase over 1996–97 per cent  1.6 4.3 10.7 20.0 27.8 
		
	
	(1) Fig are on a resource basis.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Gladwin of Clee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to notify the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill to the European Commission as a technical regulation under Directive 98/34/EC.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We notified the Bill on 28 March 2002. The notification is without prejudice to the Government's view that the Bill does not contain any technical regulations.

BSE: Progress Report

Baroness Golding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When it will make available the latest progress report prepared by the department on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Lord Whitty: A further progress report on BSE in Great Britain was placed in the Library of the House on Thursday 11 April 2002.
	The report outlines the measures which have been take to protect public health since June 2001 and includes the latest EU requirements for testing and surveillance. There is also a section on the protection of animal health which covers controls on animal feed. The epidemiology section shows that the epidemic of BSE in Great Britain continues to decline.
	The report is also published on the DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/index.html.